Monthly Archives: August 2010

This week, I have my first blog interview! It’s very exciting to be doing an interview and I am thrilled it is with award winning Nadia Sunde! Nadia recently won third place (children’s song category) in the International Songwriting Competition with her song, “The Goat and The Goose.”

First of all Nadia, thanks for coming to my blog and I have to say, I am so glad you are my first celebrity! I put in my votes for the peoples choice awards, but you have managed to be awarded by the industry! How are you coping with all your new found fame?

Thank you for inviting me Marion! It’s so lovely to be chatting with you. Winning third place in the International Songwriting Competition was a huge affirmation for me on my journey as a songwriter. I’ve been writing songs for many years, but the songs I’ve written for my children are the ones I hold most dear and am most proud. The Goat and The Goose is actually based on a true story about two best friends! They live in Currumbin Valley, across the road from the little Valley School, and spend all day munching grass, wandering about (sometimes perilously close to the road) and laughing at each others jokes (honk honk, maaa maaa – okay, I made that bit up). Perfect inspiration for this songwriter! The Goat and The Goose is the first track from my album, Homespun, which features a collection of songs designed to appeal to people of all ages. It’s a bit like my family album, inspired by my children, full of playful, honest and heartfelt moments – I can’t help but love it.

Your success has been result of lots of hours, days, weeks and years of hard work and dedication to your craft. Can you tell us some highlights of your journey?

In January of this year I performed the lead role in a children’s musical theatre production called Nadia’s Wish. The show was co-written by myself, Kerryanne Farrer (Pineapple Productions) and my husband Jeff. Supported by the State Library of Queensland, Nadia’s Wish ran a three week season at the SLQ auditorium. Talk about your wishes coming true! I got to play the part of a musical gypsy with a magic oven and my own GYPSY CARAVAN!!! The performance featured music from Homespun, stunning sets and costumes by Josh McIntosh, and the best supporting cast a girl could wish for: virtuoso guitarist Michael Fix on guitars and banjo, Silas Palmer on fiddle and keys, Andrew Shaw on double bass and Suzanne Hibbs on drums and percussion. Due to their worldclass performances, both in character and as themselves, and our delight in playing together, we’ve formed Nadia & The Best Band In The World!

Being a creative mum, how do you make time to practice your craft and balance a home life?
Jeff and I have two beautiful children; Mia (3) and Asher (6). My family life is huge inspiration for my creative soul and music is a natural part of our everyday. We make up songs as we set the table for dinner, while we’re putting away the groceries, getting ready for school or just driving in the car. Two days ago I took Mia shopping for new shoes – they are pink and sparkly and good for her feet! We were both so happy after our spree we sang all the way home…”Click clack, front and back. Sittin’ in the car with my best friend Jack, Turn up the music! Turn off the news! We’re goin’ to the city to buy new shoes!” We haven’t stopped singing it since! I think the extended version will make an appearance on the next album.

You seem to be very busy. Do you get enough time to take care of yourself as well as the family?

That is actually the hardest part. This past week has been particularly stressful. I worked full-time filling in as a presenter on local ABC Radio, had two major festival applications due, a magazine article to finish, finished writing two songs and completed a full days recording session! All of it was incredibly good fun. But, even good stress is still stress. I wouldn’t manage weeks like this without my vitamins, my cod liver oil, my olive leaf extract, magnesium, down time with my children and support from my husband. He is among the very best.

You do a lot of prominent concerts, do you have a manager to organise all your gigs? How do people book you for events?

I’ve been blessed with the best manager in the whole wide world! I first met Kerryanne Farrer when she worked as an organiser for the Woodford Folk Festival and as a performer in The Mint Patties – a gorgeous cabaret act celebrating the music of the 60s girl bands in splendid style! These days she operates her own production company – Pineapple Productions – working in children’s music and theatre. She’s incredibly experienced, innovative and inspired and we’re having a ball together!Where do we buy your CD?

Please visit my website – www.nadiasunde.com – and follow the links. It’s also available on iTunes. Alternatively, I’d love to see you on facebook! Our fan page is ‘Nadia Sunde Homespun Music’. Where and when will you be performing or appearing next?

You can find me performing regularly as a guest at various children’s markets, eg: Mathilda’s Market and The Butterfly Tree Markets. By subscribing on my website, or facebook fan page, you’ll also receive updates of Nadia & The Best Band In The World’s latest adventures and upcoming gigs.

Thanks for being my very first interview and I am so pleased you won a place in the competition. I bet you will come first next year!

It was such a delight to speak with you Marion! Thank you so much for your support. I look forward to seeing you very soon. xo Nadia

I love public hols! Today I have linked some friends blogs and web pages to my blog. I’ve only begun and if you want me to add you, please let me know. Please add me to yours too! I will be back on this afternoon and hope to post my first blogging interview, any guesses who it may be? She has won a prestigious international award recently! For now we are off to create our first you-tube video. This should give us lots of fun and frustration for a few hours, we haven’t a clue what to do but we’re going to find out!

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The importance of a writing group… many have blogged about why their group is important and I guess I just need to have my say in the matter too. My group ‘The Ten Penners’ (the adults writing for children support group, of the Gold Coast Writer’s Association) is especially dear to me. When I first found the GCWA I felt like a weight had been lifted and I finally found the right group for me. At the time I was penning some scripts and romances, I decided I might try the children’s group, as it could be fun, not realising it was where I was meant to go. We did have heaps of fun, listening to everyone’s different stories and writing styles. Many days were spent laughing with delight. The forced creative exercises were enlightening and our craft was honed well. When I began writing for children, I had a young daughter, who loved to read books. I would always read at least three books each night to her before she went to bed. Luckily she became my greatest fan and also, now, a great critic! But back to the group, Maria O’Donnell was coordinator when I joined and after a couple of years, she suggested we all put a book together, an anthology of short stories and poems based on the horror genre. We began in May 2004 and with fortnightly, then weekly meetings, we found we had enough stories produced to publish a book to be proud of. SHOCK! HORROR! GASP! was launched in October, 2004.

This was a pivotal moment for our group when we were ten authors and created our name “The Ten Penners”. The authors were Maria O’Donnell, Anna Boucaut, Margaret Cornwell, Robert Young, Lindy Standage, Lorraine Blomberg, Gloria Kearton, Malcolm Kearton, Jill Ford and me, Marion Martineer. Our book launch was an overwhelming success and the most memorable of the GCWA, as we did a dance to the “Monster Mash” in fancy dress!

The following year Maria stepped down as coordinator and asked me if I would take the job. I humbly agreed and since 2005 have been taking the group each month through it’s meeting and preparing a creative exercise to stimulate something new. I also try to find some tips to use as a handout, which takes time to compile but everyone seems to enjoy, so their appreciation makes it worth while. The same year I was asked by the GCWA to run a kids group which I began Jan 2005, thus ‘Writers Force’ was born for 7 – 17 year old aspiring writers. Numbers for this groups’ meeting change, they have grown to fourteen but I only have about three or four gather on a regular basis. However, there is no doubt about the talent that is out there and the kids that do bother are the serious writers (with understanding parents). The following photo is with

Shana, Starla and Amelia who are penning some excellent stories for their own anthology.

But back to my group, in July 2008 “The Ten Penners” decided to produce another book. Knowing what to do this time around didn’t make it easier. The work, time and effort were still required but it did help our confidence. We tried to make the original November deadline but a few of us were unsure of the quality of our stories and we needed more time to edit. Hence, the launch was delayed to May 2009, eight of us (all women) rose to the final challenge of investing, producing, launching and selling a self published product that we are all very proud of. Along with myself, Maria O’Donnell, Jill Ford, Lindy Standage, Lorraine Blomberg, Yvette Coutts, Jill Smith and Kate Pepper.

This time, for our launch of ‘FAN-TAS-TIC-AL TALES’, we had a few of our children act out our characters in little skits, which was rather interesting and kept with the flamboyant Ten Penners style!

Without my writing group, my writings would still be messy, scribbled, jumbles of words hoping to make a lot more sense than inspirational ideas. Without their encouragement, support and willingness to team up for a special project, being able to call ourselves published authors would still be a dream. Even when we haven’t a big project at hand, the discussions of how to improve the story are always greatly received and listening to others tell their stories, sparks an individuals imagination to create even more new adventures or ideas. I love my writing group, mingling with like minded people certainly warms and soothes my soul. It’s just a nice place to be!

We are still selling FAN-TAS-TIC-AL TALES rrp $24.95 you simply ask an author for a copy and now we even have it available in Angus and Robertson Harbourtown, where the lovely Carly has our books in store and we have a few author visits planned. Come along, meet the authors Jill Smith, Jill Ford, Kate Russell and Marion Martineer on Saturday 28th August, when a new colouring competition to win a signed copy of Fan-tas-tic-al Tales, is judged! Copies of the competition form can be downloaded here.

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Somerset Literary Festival is over and I have wonderful memories of meeting some very talented authors, I was in awe. My 11 y.o. daughter came along and she had a ball hearing what the authors said and having three books signed for her. She even had a photo with Sam Bowring (The Zoo of Magical and Mythological Creatures), she did a book review on Sam’s book for the GC Bulletin. We should have got the camera out when she had James Roy sign Voyage to Verdada. Silly, as keen as I am sometimes I get carried away with the moment and forget to bring the camera out for those irreplaceable memories! Luckily for me I caught a snap with my faves Jackie French and Leigh Hobbs, yay! They were so nice. And also Queensland authors Sheryl Gwynther, Chris Bongers and Angela Sunde. Shame to have to get back to reality of my clerical day job, writing festivals are so much fun and tiring.